Amanda Seymour News

Inspired by the success from their safe drive-in performances of La bohème in the Fall, which heralded the return of live, in-person, opera to San Diego County since the start of the pandemic, San Diego Opera has announced a Spring season of safe, socially-distanced, drive-in performances.

Utah Opera Artistic Director Christopher McBeth today announced Utah Opera’s 2021-22 season, sponsored by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation. In its upcoming season, Utah Opera presents four full-scale opera productions with live performances at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre.

Inspired by the success from their safe drive-in performances of La bohème in the Fall, which heralded the return of live, in-person, opera to San Diego County since the start of the pandemic, and provided over 300 jobs to many, San Diego Opera has announced a Spring season of safe, socially-distanced, drive-in performances.

San Diego Opera's 2019-2020 main stage season comes to a close with Gioachino Rossini's classic comedy The Barber of Seville which opens on Saturday, April 25, 2020 at the San Diego Civic Theatre for four performances. Additional performances are April 28, May 1, and 3 (matinee), 2020.

San Diego Opera's 2019-2020 main stage season comes to a close with Gioachino Rossini's classic comedy The Barber of Seville which opens on Saturday, April 25, 2020 at the San Diego Civic Theatre for four performances.

The Atlanta Opera has announced its 41st season. True to the vision of Tomer Zvulun, the company's Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director, the 2020-21 lineup boasts major new productions of three critically important works: Das Rheingold, one of the most iconic in the canon; The Sound of Music, one of the best-loved classics of musical theater; and The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, one of contemporary opera's most palpable hits, now receiving its Southeast premiere. Together with the Atlanta premiere of As One, Steve Jobs is one of two topical and much talked-about new operas in Atlanta's award-winning Discoveries series, which breaks down barriers between artists and their audience by providing intimate, immersive experiences in nontraditional spaces.

Utah Opera Artistic Director Christopher McBeth has announced the programming, initial casting, and creative teams for the company's 2019-20 season, which comprises four opera productions at the newly renovated Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre. Featuring improved seating and sightlines on the orchestra level, the theatre reopens after a six-month closure for the company's season-opening production of Verdi's La traviata in October 2019. The season continues with composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell's Silent Night in January 2020, Rossini's The Barber of Seville in March 2020, and Massenet's Tha s in May 2020. Silent Night is presented as part of Utah Opera's American Opera Initiative, through which the company champions and commissions American contributions to the art form. Both Silent Night and Tha s are Utah Opera premieres.

Artistic Director Christopher McBeth today announced the programming, initial casting, and creative teams for Utah Opera's 2019-20 season, sponsored by the George S. and Dolores Dor Eccles Foundation. In its upcoming season, Utah Opera produces four operas at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre: Verdi's La traviata in October 2019, Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell's Silent Night in January 2020, Rossini's The Barber of Seville in March 2020, and Massenet's Tha s in May 2020. Both Silent Night and Tha s are company premieres. Season subscriptions are on sale now by calling (801) 533-6683 or visiting utahopera.org. Single-opera tickets go on sale to the general public on June 14, 2019 through Utah Opera and ArtTix outlets.

As a major highlight of its summer-long celebration, June 15-September 2, of the centennial of Leonard Bernstein's birth, Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) in Lenox, MA, has programmed several fully staged and semi-staged productions of Leonard Bernstein's work written for the stage, featuring several Tony Award-winning Broadway performers, choreographers, and directors.

Juilliard Opera's season opens with W.A. Mozart's romantic comedy La finta giardiniera on November 15, 17, and 19, 2017, led by distinguished Metropolitan Opera conductor Joseph Colaneri, who makes his Juilliard Orchestra debut, and directed by faculty member Mary Birnbaum.

Juilliard Opera's season opens with W.A. Mozart's romantic comedy La finta giardiniera on November 15, 17, and 19, 2017, led by distinguished Metropolitan Opera conductor Joseph Colaneri, who makes his Juilliard Orchestra debut, and directed by faculty member Mary Birnbaum.

Laughter and love stories carry over into the new Canadian Opera Company production of Donizetti's The Elixir of Love, one of the most popular comedies of the opera world for almost 200 years. The Elixir of Love runs for eight performances at Toronto's Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on October 11, 15, 17, 21, 27, 29, November 2, 4, 2017.

Lately, it seems that no matter where you turn you are assaulted with frightening news, disheartening images, and arguing politicians. It's gotten so upsetting that no one would fault you for thinking that this is the worst of all possible worlds. However, if you are tired of thinking the worst of society and your fellow man, there is no better antidote than the Orlando Philharmonic's joyous and playful production of Leonard Bernstein's light opera CANDIDE, running through Sunday, October 16th at Plaza Live Orlando.

'ARIADNE ON NAXOS' balances wondrously between classic beauty and parody.

Rehearsals started this week at The 5th Avenue Theatre for the exultant classic musical, Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, the iconic show sweeping Seattle for the holidays. Boasting such beloved songs as 'Do Re Mi,' 'My Favorite Things,' 'Sixteen Going on Seventeen,' and 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain,' this production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music will be presented as only The 5th can do, complete with a sensational live orchestra, stunning costumes, and incredible sets. Under the direction of David Bennett and with choreography by Trina Mills and music direction by Kat Sherrell, this musical will feature an exuberant all-local cast of fresh faces and favorite performers that includes Anne Allgood as the Mother Abbess, joining the previously announced David Pichette as Max Detweiler and Jessica Skerritt as the Baroness Elsa Schraeder, with Hans Altwies as Captain Georg von Trapp and Kirsten deLohr Helland as Maria.

I think I bring this up every time I write about an opera, but it's just so funny to me that most of my early exposure to the medium came through films that I saw on TV when I was kid. Whether it was an Our Gang short (the one where Alfalfa wants to give up crooning to become an opera singer), a Bugs Bunny cartoon (Carl Stallings frequently drew from famous classical works), or even something from Tom and Jerry, I was privy to melodies that would eventually work their way into my musical subconscious. That's just one of the reasons I found the Opera Theatre of St. Louis' production of THE BARBER OF SEVILLE so engaging. Add to that the fact that the brilliant, sexy, funny, and colorful films of Pedro Almodovar provided the inspiration for the look and feel of this particular presentation, and you have a match made in heaven. You should make it a point to catch all of the Opera Theatre's productions, because they're always innovative, and I especially recommend the wacky comic delights of composer Giochino Rossini's THE BARBER OF SEVILLE.

Edward Torres' gritty and energetic portable production opens a limited run after touring NYC prisons and shelters.

The Public Theater will begin previews for the MOBILE SHAKESPEARE UNIT production of MACBETH on Sunday, May 17. Directed by Edward Torres, MACBETH follows a three-week tour, bringing free Shakespeare to audiences who have limited or no access to the arts. The production will run at The Public Theater through Sunday, June 7 with an official press opening on Wednesday, May 20. All tickets are $20.

The Public Theater announced today that it will continue its commitment to bringing free Shakespeare to the community and strengthening audience engagement with the arts by expanding its MOBILE SHAKESPEARE UNIT to include a spring touring production of MACBETH to the five boroughs. Directed by Edward Torres, the free Mobile Unit tour (April 24 - May 14) will bring free Shakespeare to audiences who have limited or no access to the arts by visiting prisons, homeless shelters, and other community venues, including stops at our Public Works community partner venues: Brownsville Recreation Center in Brooklyn, Fortune Society in Queens and DreamYard Project in the Bronx. Following the three-week tour, MACBETH will have a limited sit-down run at The Public Theater from May 17 through June 7, with an official press opening on Wednesday, May 20. The Mobile Shakespeare Unit toured Pericles last fall.

The Public Theater welcomes the return of PUBLIC STUDIO, which will present two new plays this spring by emerging and up-and-coming playwrights. The two plays will run in repertory from today, February 20 to March 1 in The Public's Shiva Theater and will be presented as pared-down productions with the low ticket price of only $10.